Bakemono no Ko

I wanted to like this anime so much. I saw everyone's reviews and recommendations and I had high hopes.

What I did like was the relationship between the boy and the beast. I thought this was very cute and it warmed my heart. I also liked the relationship between the boy and his love interest. I also thought that was nice because it didn't feel forced or artificial.

What I didn't like was that the last third of the movie didn't feel like it fit the first two thirds of the movie. If this was a long anime series, and it transitioned this way I ... would probably be able to accept it. But I felt like it moved too quickly for it to be effective.

As for the tear jerking ending, I didn't respond that way at all. I thought this was necessary and everyone got what they wanted. Actually, I was satisfied with it.

I am not going to spoil the ending but I dont like how the boy dispatched the bad guy.

To keep it simple, good for kids/family but for teens and adults it's not worth the time.

Story
Really promising in the beginning, because we get what we came for, the boy trained by the beast, but later we will get other "emotional" plots that don't have enough time to feel relevant and can become boring and predictable

Characters
Simple but likeable, they have some personal struggles to make them feel more alive but make illogical decisions sometimes

Antagonist
No motivation, no logic, no buildup
...
Visuals and music
Very beautiful, probably why the movie is even relevant

Is it bad? no, but for a 2h movie is just not worth it

"Overall, the plot to this movie was absolutely insulting, and I feel it didn't use it's time well at all (which is impressive when it's goddamn 2 hours long), and the world it tries to set up is an absolute joke. Like the sweet, soothing melodies of Cannibal Corpse... ...the Boy and the Beast is:
Too edgy. In your face. And desperate to evoke a reaction out of you."

Honestly, this is one of the most disappointing and infuriating things I've ever watched. And so many people praise this movie.
If you are interested in a long-form comedy/analytical review of this movie, then here you go: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxKdW_cwBLM
It's ... in the style of YourMovieSucks and Mr. Plinkett, if that can convince you further.

(Contains Spoilers; please read after you watch it. Or not.)

I usually love Mamoru Hosoda's films (The Girl who Leapt Through Time, Wolf Children, Summer Wars), so I decided to give this movie a go as well. It looked interesting. It started off okay, but then I felt incredibly disappointed.

The part where they went on this so-called ‘journey’ to discover the true meaning of strength felt watered down/underwhelming. I was hoping that part would have had more screen time and that they’d at least learn something from it or bond somewhat, but it’s the usual bickering between Ren and Kumatetsu throughout the whole thing.

I don’t really ... understand how Ren could suddenly beat Jiroumaru (the kid who bullied him at first) just like that. He said he knew how to predict Kumatetsu’s footsteps because he observed him for a long time. It’s not like he was spending every day to observe Jiroumaru’s steps as well? That was a bit weird.

I don’t like how Ren ran away from Kumatetsu and ditched him just like that without even really making an effort to actually communicate properly about his thoughts of attending university/seeing his dad. Yes he tried to say it but even if Kumatetsu was being a bit of a dick raising his voice Ren should at least have thanked him for raising him before ditching him like that? He had nowhere to go and Kumatetsu took him in and raised/trained him for 9 fucking years. That was a shit attitude from Ren.
I also don’t like how Ren didn’t even apologize to Kumatetsu or his dad in the end either after ditching them both rudely. That’s not ok. He was grown up now he should know better.

When the ‘final’ showdown came between Iozen and Kumatetsu (to decide who gets to become the next Lord) it also felt super underwhelming. Kumatetsu beat Iozen way too easily. Like the battle literally only lasted 5 minutes in the entire movie...seriously? After having trained so long and so hard that was it? Only 5 minutes? That was just really disappointing...

Then the movie shifted to Ichirouhiko going ‘evil’ by losing control over his inner darkness because he’s actually a human, not a beast. He was adopted by Iozen, but it wasn’t even explained what Iozen was doing in the human world at the time anyway? That I also found vague. The beasts living in Shibuten talked about how there are these separate worlds for a reason, yet it felt like they just crossed over casually without it being seen as ‘taboo’ or at least somewhat unusual?

Then in the end Kumatetsu sacrificed himself and reincarnated into a sword in order to help Ren beat Ichirouhiko, but since when was Ichirouhiko supposed to be the ‘final climax’ event? It just felt out of place. I also found it strange how the previous Lord didn’t do anything about it, as if he couldn’t do anything? Also Iozen didn’t come forward either, it felt like somehow it just HAD to be Kumatetsu sacrificing himself. It doesn’t make sense to me.

This is not a horrible movie, but it definitely is wasted potential. I think it’d have been a lot better if the focus was just on this journey to growth (both physically training wise and mental progression) and bonding between Kumatetsu and Ren. It would make sense because at the start of the film Ren seems to have quite a bit of emotional baggage in terms of family bonds. I was hoping he would find some peace with himself and with others after meeting Kumatetsu, because Kumatestu grew up by himself and had no figures of support in his life in a family sense either. I was hoping they could help eachother grow and heal in a way. They really missed the chance of doing this.
Instead (like I mentioned before too) they keep showing them bickering and yelling at each other nonstop. That got kind of old at some point, because as a child you can be more immature, but as you grow older and come to realize more things you should at least be respectful to your adoptive parent? Like it’s the least you can do. Without them you wouldn’t even have a place to call home. This is why Ren isn’t a very likeable character to me.
Then the movie got all over the place and had to end with a side character going evil for some petty reason and stealing the spotlight just to fill in the screentime.
Kumatetsu didn’t even get to really BE a ruler/Lord (because he turned into a sword), which he was training so hard and so long for. I think the only possible scenario I could accept this is if it weren’t Ichirouhiko turning evil, but Ren turning evil instead and Kumatetsu sacrificing himself for Ren. That would have been way more powerful and impactful in my opinion.
Overall I find the concept interesting and the soundtrack great, but it’s still very lacking plot wise and I probably won’t watch this movie again.

TL:DR: Where the movie is good, it's genuinely, uniquely and originally good. Where it's bad, it's hollow, cold and soulless. The director's sincerity and effort are inconsistent and misguided.

Overall a bad movie.

May be worth a watch if you're:

1. looking for novel experiences as opposed to strictly good experiences

2. not too easily dissapointed by a weak second half.

...
_

The first half of the movie is great. Sweet, slow-paced, true to life. It seems like a story you could learn and absorb things from.

The second half is like an episode of eastenders: Hollow, forced, and grating. Melodrama angst and pain for their own sake, without much sense, logic, or justification, either from a narrative standpoint or of plausibility.

Sounds, reductionistic but the second half is so rushed it's like watching a mid-season recap. The story pivots 90 degrees without any transition, drags on at the new angle for a while while you try to retain hope in the story (and probably succeed, because what came before was original and enjoyable ), then after a while just goes ahead and pivots the other 90 into full on self-desecration.

If the film was 4 hours, long maybe they could have done something with the outline of the second half.

As is, huge developments happen (for example characters suddenly being revealed in a drastically different light, characters suddenly turning on each other over nothing, the MC tumbling from his new world and new life back into the old one) without any care. Where before the pacing was endlessly patient, somewhere around the 60 minute mark it becomes like watching an abridged series.

As an example, when the MC returns to the human world for the first time, It happens suddenly, by accident, and out of nowhere, with no indication that the MC can return to the world of his foster parents.

Then Suddenly a waifu appears.

Then in two seconds they are close.

Then in three more seconds they are inseperable- ...thanks to a convenient violent situation which the MC can use his newfound powers of violence to resolve.

If the movie had continued at the previous calm slice-of-lifey pace, such developments could have taken another hour by themselves.

When the topic is "boy meets girl", it's not so bad to be clumsy and cack-handed: you are rushing, but rushing through something that every viewer understands. So much is inoffensive, and while it tests the viewer's patience, does not actively detract from the movie.

But unfortunately it's ALL ruthlessly rushed from here to the end of the movie.

And unfortunately it doesn't all nearly make as much easy narrative sense (read: any sense whatsoever) from here on. In fact there are a lot of weird, bizarre and seemingly downright stupid developments, which simply do not work for an intelligent viewer without a thousand times more context and justification than what they were given.

And in some cases directly detract from things established in the first half of the movie.

In short, where before everything was deftly and subtly done, with a beautiful touch of true life, from this point on it just throws shit at you and hopes it sticks.

_

In short, the author tried to 4 movies in the space of 1, ran out of space half way, and then tried to cram the last three in 60 minutes anyway.

Negatives: second half of film is a slap in the face for the kind of viewer who would love the first half. All of the care, kindliness and patience shown in the first half of the movie is thrown out the window. It's like watching a mid-season summary. It's hard to meet the movie half way even if you want to, because you're really given nothing to work with. Where the first half of the movie is warm, kindly, patient, realistic, and full of life, the second is cold, callous, empty, hollow, and without plausibility.

Positives: The art is nice, the choreography is strong, and the first half of the movie is really nice and heartwarming. If you can seperate a great sequence from a bad ending, the first half is worth your time. (In fact not only good, but original and uplifting.)


_

I would recommend this movie for:

(A) those who don't get too dissapointed when a movie lets them down gretly after starting strong.

(B) Those who watch films less for a good experience, than in order to mine for cool ideas, images, constructed memories, etc.

(C) Those who aren't too picky how they come by their emotions. If you like trashy soap operas, ignore everything I said about the second half of the movie.